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Good senior managers hard to find

I would like to follow up on comments made in a letter regarding the school board’s hiring policy.

Dear Editor:

I would like to follow up on comments made in a letter to the editor by the past president of the Okanagan Skaha Teachers union (current school trustee candidate) regarding the school board’s hiring policy.

1. Provincially (and beyond,) there is a significant shortage of highly qualified senior management candidates due to baby boomer retirements.

This trend is expected to continue and is shared by many public and private sector organizations.

2. Professional search costs range between $20,000 and $30,000, and may take up to 18 months to complete. It has always been the goal of the local school board to hire well, as it can be very difficult and expensive to end a contract.  Sometimes a short-term contract can bridge the gap between a retirement and a new hire, and from a practical perspective, choosing someone with good knowledge of the district is an asset.

3. Cost to a school district is actually less when a retired individual is hired, as there are no longer pension contribution payments required from the employer. The $16.8 billion B.C. Teachers Pension plan administered out of Victoria pays pension funds directly to eligible teachers and administrators, in accordance with their own policies.

Hiring exceptionally dedicated and talented staff for all positions in the Okanagan Skaha school district has paid big dividends.

Our student graduation rate is well above the provincial average.

Connie Denesiuk

Summerland Trustee